Draco Malfoy and the Weasley Who Took Him by Surprise
by ariastumble
Summary: (AU, Ginny is a Slytherin) The girl was a hand-me-down-wearing, mudblood-loving, Weasley of a Slytherin. Just by existing, she was practically begging to be bullied. But as Draco turned the hall to see a group of fourth year Slytherins tormenting the girl for the fifth time that week, he couldn't help but let out a sigh.
1. Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy and the Weasley Who Took Him by Surprise

Cover Art: "Draco Ginny - Tension" by Irrel on DeviantArt

Chapter 1: In Which Draco Fears a Fist in His Face

It was pathetic, really. The way his fellow Slytherins always targeted Ginny Weasley. Sure, Draco Malfoy had- at one point- joined in on the teasing. The girl was a hand-me-down-wearing, mudblood-loving, Weasley of a Slytherin. Just by existing, she was practically begging to be bullied. But as Draco turned the hall to see a group of fourth year Slytherins tormenting the girl for the fifth time that week, he couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Guys, cut it out. We can't afford to lose any more points."

The boys turned towards him. They had the Weasley girl surrounded. She was trembling, her back against the wall. Draco sighed. "Why don't you spend your energy ruining someone else's day? Potter, perhaps."

The biggest one rolled his eyes. Draco thought his name was Brutus, but he couldn't be sure. "Didn't you just say we can't afford to lose any more points, Malfoy?"

"Right, well, I have to say that. I'm a prefect. Really, I just think it's kind of beneath you to harass some little girl. Look at her. She's practically a foot shorter than you."

"So what? She's a freak. She deserves it," another said. The rest of them laughed. How could they possibly think they were funny?

Draco narrowed his eyes at them, the glare that made Crabbe and Goyle follow even his most ridiculous orders. "I won't ask again."

"Fine, fine. We don't want any trouble," Brutus said, waving his hands up in front of his shoulders mockingly. The group of snickering boys left, their footsteps loud as they practically stomped down the hall.

Draco walked up to the Weasley girl, a smirk on his face. "You okay?"

The girl glared at him with such ferocity that Draco almost took a step back. Her brown eyes were practically blazing, crackling with a hatred he didn't quite understand. "None of your business." She turned away from him and took a few steps away. He grabbed her arm, and she turned back towards him."What?"

"I...Well, shouldn't you thank me or something?"

But that was the wrong thing to say. She looked like she wanted to punch him. Her fist was clenched. Draco took a step back this time, his back bumping against the wall.

"Thank you?" She almost spit the words out. "Why would I thank you?"

"Well, for one thing, I stopped those guys," Draco said. But his voice was shaking.

For a moment, she just stared at him. Then she narrowed her eyes. And then she just laughed. And she couldn't seem to stop. Draco shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Yes, the girl was frail, short, and younger than him. But something about her laugh and the way her red hair kept sliding over her eyes made him uncomfortable.

"Stop laughing. Why are you laughing?"

The Weasley girl just grinned at him. "Nothing. Forget about it. Thank you, Malfoy. Thank you for being my…" She laughed again. "...my knight in shining armor." She dipped into a curtsy, mockingly theatrical.

Draco was about to retort when the movement made him look down and realize the first half of her blouse was unbuttoned. His eyes widened, which made Ginny look down at her blouse too. "Wait, Weasley, did they try to-"

Her eyes darkened. "Shut it, Malfoy." She looked down and quickly fumbled with her blouse, trying to button it back up. But some of the buttons were missing. Some hung on loose strings. Draco looked away, not wanting to stare. But then he felt her two small hands shove him against the wall. Her face was down, red hair everywhere. But he could still make out her red-rimmed eyes and the tears that glimmered in their corners.

"Thank you, Malfoy." She punched the wall next to his ear. He flinched. "Thank you for convincing my brother Ron that all Slytherins have to be bad people. Thank you for starting the bullying in the first place the day I was Sorted. And thank you, most of all, for boasting-boasting!- to your friends last year about how your father snuck the diary into my cauldron. Thank you for being proud that your precious father let the Dark Lord possess me to hurt everyone the year that, because of my Sorting, I was so bloody conflicted about whether I was meant for evil."

He swallowed as he looked at her. He didn't know what to say. They stood there in silence for a moment. She stood up and dropped her hands to her sides. Draco had never seen anyone who looked so defeated. And then she left, quickly and silently. She was gone, and it was like she had never been there at all. All that was left was the queasy feeling she had left in Draco's stomach.

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Author's Note: Please review and let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: In Which Draco Works on His Confrontational Skills

Dedicated to ManonVarendaz for being my first reviewer! :)

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That night Draco couldn't stop thinking about what the Weasley girl had said. Sometimes it made him angry. How dare she blame him for her problems? Other times, all he could remember was her face as she looked down at her unbuttoned blouse. Were those guys just trying to scare her? Or something worse? Draco didn't like thinking about it for too long, so instead he tried to focus on his anger.

On Friday morning, he walked over to where she was eating. She rarely ate in the Great Hall, but when she did she always sat in the corner and didn't talk to anyone. Or maybe it was more like no one talked to her. She just looked down at her food, letting her wavy hair drape over both sides of her face. The seats around her were empty, as usual.

"You have a lot of nerve, Weasley," Draco said as he sat down in front of her.

She looked up, eyes wide at the sound of his voice. Then they narrowed. "Malfoy. What do you want?"

"I don't appreciate the way you talked to me the last time we spoke."

"Last time we spoke...Oh, right. Sorry, did I upset you? Are you going to run home and tell Daddy on me?"

Draco raised his eyebrow. She was annoying, but it was kind of impressive that there was still a spark to her. "And you think I'm a bully? The least you could do is be polite. I did go out of way to talk to you, after all."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks for going out of your way, your Majesty."

Draco decided to take back the impressive thing. She was definitely more annoying. "Anyway, I just wanted to get some things straight. First off, I don't really think it's fair for you to blame me for people bothering you. I mean, sure, I may have called you a few things when you first got here. But everyone is hard on the first years. You had it worse than others, but part of being a Slytherin is toughing it out."

"And how do you propose I do that?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her palms. "I'm not exactly stronger than them."

"What are we? Muggles? Learn some hexes or something. Defend yourself."

"With what? This?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stick. Half of it was barely hanging on, bent to one side.

Draco stared at it, horrified. "What the bloody hell is that?"

"My wand. My family isn't exactly rich, and they didn't really care to get their Slytherin daughter a good wand. It's like they're worried that if I'm successful here, I'll become a Death Eater or something."

"Like you should ever be so lucky, Weasley."

She was about to retort when Draco heard Pansy's voice from behind him. "Draco, if you wanted to talk to trash, I could have taken you to see a House-Elf. They're much better looking."

Pansy took a seat next to them, smirking at the now glaring Weasley girl. Draco sighed. Pansy was fun enough, but she did always seem to show up at the worst moments.

"What's wrong, Parkinson? Threatened by someone else talking to your boyfriend?"

"Threatened? By you? Never."

But the Weasley girl's glare suddenly turned into a smile. She was surprisingly pretty when she smiled, and when she directed her gaze at Draco- biting her lip and tucking auburn hair behind her ear- he couldn't help but blush. "I'll see you later, Draco. Next to the broom closet."

She winked, making Draco's eyes widen, and got out of her chair, her hips moving from one side to the other as she walked away. Draco was left with a furious Pansy and only five minutes to eat before his first class. Stupid Weasley girl.

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Author's Note: I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please let me know what you think. Sorry, it's short! I'll try to update daily.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: In Which Draco Is Late to Potions

Dedicated to Virgo girl 14 for reviewing :)

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For the next week, Draco tried to keep an eye on the Weasley girl. It was hard not to, knowing her wand was barely fit for a first year levitation charm. Draco didn't know why he cared that a Weasley was defenseless, so he tried to not think about it too much. He told himself it was just because she was such a pathetic excuse for a Slytherin that it worried him for the future of the House. Yes, that was it. Draco didn't realize the extent to which he was following her until one day she turned around to face him in the middle of a hallway.

"You know I was just joking about the broom closet thing, right?" she asked from a few feet in front of him.

"I would hope so," he said, sneering. But his cheeks turned red. How dare she mention that? Pansy still wouldn't shut up about it. And it didn't help that the whole thing looked suspicious anyway, since he had never talked to the Weasley girl before. "Why would you even ask me that?"

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Because you've been stalking me."

"S-stalking? Are you demented? I'm no stalker. And if I was, I sure as hell wouldn't follow around some Weasley brat."

"Then why do I suddenly see you everywhere I go now?"

"I don't know. I'm on my way to Potions. Let me add "paranoid" to the list of things that annoy me about you."

She turned pink. "I am not paranoid. And this hallway sure is out of your way to go to Potions."

"Well, uh…" Now that Draco thought about it, he realized she was right. This hallway was unusually empty for Hogwarts, and it was because it required walking a much longer distance to places in the dungeons than the more commonly used hallways. He had told himself he was taking it to avoid the annoying underclassmen, but he couldn't exactly deny his eyes had been resting on the back of the girl's head.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I bothered you and Pansy." She turned and started walking away.

For a moment, Draco just stared, dumbfounded. Then he ran up her, passing her slightly so he was in front of her. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not exactly like you to apologize."

She crossed her arms. "Well, I don't know why you've been following me, but I'm sure it isn't for a good reason. And I'm pretty sure Pansy has something to do with the frogs I keep waking up to every morning."

"Frogs?"

She shuddered. "They're so slimy and...ugh. Fred and George put some in my shower when I was younger, and now I can't stand them, and one time I told Luna how much I hated them, and Pansy must have heard and- why I am telling you this? I have to go. Please don't follow me anymore."

"I am not following you," Draco said, but it was halfhearted. "And if I am, it has nothing to do with Pansy. It's only because it's my job as a prefect. Especially knowing you're defenseless with that disgusting excuse for a wand."

"Your job as a prefect? So what, you're going to protect me? I don't buy that for a second." She shook her head. "Whatever. I have to get going."

She started walking, but Draco just walked alongside her. She turned towards him, annoyance flickering on her face. He shrugged. "I'm going this way too. Potions. Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Luna in the dungeons. She's looking for some sort of creature that likes hiding inside and undergrounds. Apparently it looks like shadow of a butterfly, but appears where there are none."

He sighed. "Loony Lovegood. Why do you even hang out with her? She probably just makes things worse for you."

She glared at him. "What do you care who my friends are?"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to bother protecting you if you didn't make yourself such a target."

"I do not make myself a target! And who asked you to protect me anyway? Besides, Luna is the only one who doesn't make assumptions about me because of my family or my House or the Chamber of Secrets."

He tried to ignore her accusatory glare when she mentioned the chamber. "Don't you have, like, fifty brothers? Go talk to one of them. Anyone is better than Loony."

"My brothers? The only ones who talk to me are Fred and George, and they always crack jokes about me being a Slytherin."

"What about Potter's friend?"

"Ron? Please. He hasn't talked to me for more than a few minutes since my first year. I haven't gone out of my way to talk to him either. His group kind of annoys me anyway."

"What? Mudbloods and the Boy-Who-Lived aren't your type? Aren't you in love with Potter or something?"

She glared at him. "You don't have to use the "m" word. Hermione and Harry are fine. It's just annoying how they're more welcome at my house than me. They spent the whole summer being all secretive and- why do I keep telling you things? You're the enemy."

He rolled his eyes. "The enemy? Don't you think that's a little dramatic? I'm your fellow Slytherin."

"Yeah, like that means anything. Don't you remember who was attacking me before you stopped them?"

"About that, were they-"

"I think they were just try to scare me." But her voice was shaking. "And I have to admit, they succeeded. They've never tried that before."

"Well, why don't I teach you some hexes or something? You know, as prefect it's my job."

She looked at him, probably surprised at his offer. And he had to admit, he had surprised himself. Then she frowned."We already went through this. No wand."

Draco was about to speak again when he realized they were in front of his classroom. He must have been late, because no one was walking in. Oh, well, Snape loved him. This wouldn't be an issue.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye, Malfoy," she said.

He nodded. She walked off as he went inside to see all the students turn to look at him. Snape raised his eyebrow from the center of the room.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I'm glad to see you finally showed up. The smile on your face tells me you're not very sorry about wasting all of our time."

"Sorry, Professor."

Draco scurried to his seat, more disturbed that he was smiling than that Snape had yelled at him. The Gryffindors snickered, especially Weasley and Potter. Snape turned towards them and said, "I wouldn't laugh if I were you two. Especially with that disturbing substance currently simmering in those cauldrons of yours."

The mudblood, sitting next to them, straightened up. Probably to show off her perfect potion. But as usual, Snape ignored her as the Slytherins snickered. Draco joined them, but his heart wasn't in it.

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Author's note: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 3! Please review if you have the time, it means a lot to me to hear what people think :) . For D/G shippers, I'd like to know what you like most about the ship. It might give me some inspiration ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In Which Draco Surprises Himself

Dedicated to Abatemarca for reviewing! Reviews always give me motivation, so thank you for giving me that! :)

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After he had talked to her on his way to potions, Draco tried to avoid the Weasley girl as much as possible. It disturbed him that there was a part of him that wanted to seek her out and that wanted to protect her. Sure, he was a prefect. But he was also a Malfoy. And Malfoys did not protect Weasleys.

"Draco, where are you going?" Pansy said, practically batting her eyelashes. He had bumped into her while walking in the opposite direction of all the students heading to Hogsmeade. "Aren't you coming? I thought maybe we could go to the Three Broomsticks together."

"I may come later. I just want to relax a bit. I had to stay up late patrolling the castle for Umbridge."

"Is that prefect thing or something?" Pansy asked, wrinkling her nose.

He shook his head. "Not exactly. I think Umbridge just wants extra patrollers because of Potter and his antics."

"But Hogsmeade will be so lonely without you," she said. He hated when her voice got whiny like that.

"Yeah, well, like I said I might come later. And Crabbe and Goyle can keep you company." He nodded towards the two boys talking a few feet away from them. They grunted when they saw Draco nod and walked over to where he was..

"Right…" Pansy said, looking in disgust at Goyle who was sniffing under his armpit.

Draco grinned. "See you guys later."

They parted ways, and when Draco finally stepped inside the common room, he breathed a sigh of relief. The common room was almost empty. The students who usually frequented it were at Hogsmeade. The two first years playing chess quickly packed up and left when Draco shot them a glare. As he turned towards his favorite armchair, he couldn't help but let out a groan. The Weasley girl sat there, her legs dangling off the side and her nose in a book.

"Why are you here?"

She looked up, her eyes wide at the sound of his voice. They narrowed when they landed on his face. "Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes. "I asked you first."

"Well, I always come here during Hogsmeade trips. The common room is always so empty."

He sat on the couch next to her, immediately sprawling out so he was laying down. "And here I wanted to relax."

'You're the one talking to me. We could easily ignore each other. We've done it before."

She was right. Why had he even bothered talking to her? He closed his eyes, almost lulled to sleep by the sound of pages flipping. But something was bothering him.

"Hey, Weasley. Have you ever gone on a Hogsmeade trip?"

She shook her head, her eyes still on the book. He sat up a little. "Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"But why not? I mean I get that you don't have friends, well except maybe Loony, but-"

"It's not that."

"Then why?"

She bit her lip. "I just...I don't know. There's just no teachers around and…"

"You're afraid of being attacked?"

She nodded. There was a silence between them as she went back to reading. After a few moments of deliberation, he sighed. "Will you go if I take you?"

"You would do that?" she asked, tucking hair behind her ears. The way she looked at him made his cheeks feel warm. But then her tone turned accusing. "Why would you do that? It's not like we're friends. Not even close."

"True. But everyone should go to Hogsmeade, at least once."

She looked back down at her book and then at him. "Um, thank you. That's...surprisingly kind of you, unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless this is some kind of trick?"

"It's not a trick! Are you always so paranoid when someone's nice to you?"

"I am when that person is a Malfoy."

He grinned."For someone who comes from a family who claims to be so accepting, you sure are judgemental."

She sat there with a surprised expression. And then she laughed. "Maybe you're right. Fine. Swear it's not a trick?"

"Swear."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Let me get my wallet."

He snorted. "So what? You can carry around all two of your Knuts?"

"More nuts than you carry around."

His eyebrows shot up, and he let out a startled laugh. "Did you just make a dirty joke?" She looked back down at her book, and Draco smiled at the blush on her face. "You turn as red as your hair. Typical Weasley."

"Ginny," she mumbled.

"What?"

"You can call me, Ginny." He looked at her in surprise, and then she quickly added, "But only for tonight. Since you're being so nice."

She went upstairs to get ready, and Draco sat on the couch, wondering what he had gotten himself into.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: In Which Draco Sighs

Dedicated to hellbentdeathangel.117, rcr, Virgo girl 14, and arknox443275 for reviewing! Thank you so much! :)

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With closed eyes, Draco stretched his arms and legs out when he heard Ginny's footsteps go down the stairs from her dormitory to the common room. He'd almost fallen asleep on the couch while she was getting ready, and he was starting to regret offering in the first place. What if Pansy saw him? Or worse, Potty and his crew? Maybe that brother of hers would actually punch him. Ron Weasley didn't seem like the type to control his temper. Not so different from his sister, in that respect.

"I'm ready," she mumbled from in front of him. He opened his eyes and groaned.

"What the hell are you wearing, Weasle- I mean, er, Ginny?" His tongue tripped on the name. It would take some getting used to. "Or maybe the better question is, why?"

She was wearing baggy jeans and a hoodie that was practically three times her size. Her hair had been tamed into a bun, but most of it was covered by the hood. She could have passed for a boy. A homeless one."I, well, I didn't think you'd want anyone to know about this. And to be honest, I don't either."

"I don't get it. Why haven't you gone before if you have that, uh, disguise?"

"Well, those Slytherin boys are capable of picking on anyone smaller than them, especially someone wearing clothes like these. But they wouldn't dare pick on someone walking with you. The disguise is just so no one will know it's me walking with you."

He rolled his eyes. "You're such a Muggle. Here, put down your hood and let down your hair."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

When she did what he asked, he mumbled a few incantations and waved his wand lazily. In a few moments, Ginny's freckles were gone. Black hair replaced her red locks. Her eyes were now blue instead of brown. And he transfigured an abandoned quill on the floor into a small hand mirror so she could see it all.

He couldn't help but grin at her shocked expression. "I can give you bigger breasts too, if you would like." Vulgar humor wasn't like him, but he was too tired to care. Or maybe it didn't matter because it was Ginny he was talking to.

She turned as red as her hair used to be and crossed her arms over her chest. "My breasts are perfectly fine."

He smirked. "I wouldn't know, seeing as how you're in that horrid Muggle sweater and all."

"It's not like I'm Pansy. I don't wear clothes for the purpose of hoping you'll fantasize about me."

"Like I would fantasize about you, Weasley," he said, laughing. "Uh, Ginny. Anyway, can you change into something else? I don't want people to think I'm hanging out with Mundungus Fletcher."

She glared at him, but she almost looked...hurt? It was hard to tell because she immediately stomped back off to her room. Why would she care if he found her attractive? She hated him. Draco must have been imagining things. He closed his eyes again, hoping to nap a little before he had to deal with her again.

* * *

But he had no such luck. An hour later they were in Hogsmeade, walking in and out of shops. He couldn't help but keep glancing at her. Not only did she look different because of the spells, she also looked happy. He had never really seen her smile until he took her to Zonko's. She dragged him to see every single product sold in the shop.

"Look at this! The one who wears this ring will see everyone in their opposite gender."

His first extinct was to snap at her that this was the second time she had pointed it out. But then he looked over and saw the way her feet bounced when she said it. The way her eyes lit up. It was like she was a different person. So he just sighed and walked over to where she was, pretending to be equally enthralled. This was probably the best day of her Hogwarts life, and that made him a little sad.

But when his feet started aching from all the walking, he stopped feeling sad and started feeling tired instead. "Ginny, why don't we go to the Three Broomsticks and get a drink?"

She nodded, tearing her gaze away from a particularly extravagant display of singing chocolates in Honeydukes. They walked side by side to the Three Broomsticks. Their hands brushed on the way there, and Draco tried to ignore the warmth he felt in his chest. He really needed to start actively dating again, if he was getting this reaction just from almost touching a Weasley girl.

"What would you guys like to drink?" Madam Rosmerta asked, giving them a rosy smile. They had been seated in a small booth in the right-hand corner.

"Nothing for me," Ginny said, shaking her head.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Two Butterbeers please. On me."

"But-"

"Keep your nuts to yourself," Draco said, grinning as Madam Rosmerta left. He frowned when she blushed, because the pink on her face seemed like it was better suited for red hair and freckles.

Suddenly, someone slammed her hand on the table. "Draco Malfoy, is this why you didn't want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

A livid Pansy Parkinson stood in front of them. Crabbe and Goyle watched with wide eyes from behind her. As Goyle picked his nose, Draco let out a sigh, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: In Which Draco Is Kind

Dedicated to hatebelow, Thatcraycraygirl, Jane Doe, and Abatemarca for reviewing! You made my day!

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"Draco, why are you just sitting there? Answer my question. Who is this girl?"

At least the disguise he had made for Ginny was working. Draco rubbed his temples and looked down at the table as he tried to come up with something to say. Pansy looked furious, and it was up to him to fix this since Ginny was probably a terrible liar. She was a Weasley, after all.

"Hello there." Ginny smiled sweetly at Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "You must be Draco's friends. How lovely. I'm a friend of the family. Gabriella Warrens."

Draco gaped as he looked back up at Ginny. It was like she had become a different person. The girl's back was now straight, and her elbows were no longer on the table like some sort of peasant.

"The Warrens? I've never heard of them," Pansy sneered.

Draco jumped in. "They're a Pureblood family who likes their privacy. Gabriella is homeschooled, and I wanted to keep it quiet that she was here."

Goyle grinned as he looked her over. "Hello, Gabriella."

"H-Hello, Goyle."

"How did you know his name?" Pansy snapped. Draco groaned. So much for Ginny surprising him.

"Er...well, Draco told me all about you guys. The, uh, beautiful Pansy Parkinson. The ever so brave and resourceful Crabbe and Goyle." Ginny's smile may have looked sweet to them, but Draco could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she was trying not to laugh. He noticed her nose crinkled a little when she lied, and Draco couldn't stop looking at it. It was kind of cute. For a Weasley.

"You called me beautiful?" Pansy said wistfully as she looked at Draco. He saw Ginny smirking out of the corner of his eye.

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Half an hour of awkward small talk later, Ginny and Draco walked out of the Three Broomsticks and parted ways with Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. They excused themselves by saying that Draco had to take Gabriella to where her parents were going to pick her up. However, as soon as Draco and Ginny saw the three head into Honeydukes, they started walking back to Hogwarts.

"Are you sure you're okay with going back now?" Draco asked. "You didn't get to see much."

"You look tired. And besides, seeing them spooked me out. I don't want to run into Ron or something next."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and then Draco asked, "Hey, why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make Pansy think I called her beautiful."

"Well, she's your girlfriend isn't she? Plus, maybe this put her in a good enough mood to stop with the frogs. And as much as I hate to say it, she is pretty. When she's not talking, that is."

"Well, yeah. But she's not my girlfriend. We just snog sometimes. I don't want her to think it's serious between us."

Ginny wrinkled her nose at the word 'snog'. "Too much information. And why not? She seems to really like you. And you hang around her a lot." Draco snickered, and she shot him an annoyed look. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"I never thought a Weasley would push me towards Pansy."

She looked down at the ground for a moment, and when she looked up, she was smiling. "I guess that is kind of funny. I've just always thought it would be nice to be in a relationship."

"You've never had a boyfriend?"

She shook her head. "No. And it's not like I need a boyfriend. I can wait for the right person. As things are now, the guys in Slytherin scare me. The guys who aren't in Slytherin are scared of me."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Are you scared of me?"

The moonlight illuminated the paleness of Ginny's soft-looking skin. Her eyes scanned his face, and her lips parted, but no words came out. Of course, she was scared of him. Why was he even asking that? His father had put He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's diary in her cauldron, for Merlin's sake. A rough voice from the distance broke the silence between them.

"Lucius Malfoy's boy. Is that you?" A few feet away, a ragged figure sat on a bench next to the path they were taking. Draco sighed when he recognized him. Great, just great.

"Mundungus Fletcher. What do you want?" Draco asked as they reached him.

"I'm just selling some things."

"Stolen things, I presume," Draco said, a sneer on his face. "Anything interesting?"

"Wands, mirrors, jewelry…" Fletcher looked over at Ginny. "Perhaps a locket for that pretty lady of yours."

"Maybe some other time." Draco pulled on Ginny's arm.

"As you wish," Fletcher said, looking disappointed.

"And I'm not his," Ginny called back.

They walked for a couple minutes. And then, Draco turned back. "'Ey, Fletcher. How much for the wands?" Ginny's eyes widened in surprise.

"The what?" Fletcher called back. Draco rolled his eyes and jogged over back to where Fletcher was. Ginny followed.

"The wands. How much?"

"Seven Galleons."

"No way, that's how much I paid for my new wand, you old crook."

"Five Galleons?"

"Ugh, whatever. Fine. Can I see them?"

Fletcher reached into one of the pockets of his oversized coat and pulled out five wands. Two of them were bent. One of them was taped together. But the other two looked to be in decent condition.

"Ginny, touch them. They both won't feel right, because the wand picks the user. But they should be a lot better than the wand you have."

"Draco, I can't possibly-"

"Just do it."

When Ginny picked one, Draco shoved five Galleons in Fletcher's hands and they started back on their way to school. Ginny's expression stayed perplexed, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, now I won't have to follow you. I'll know you can defend yourself."

"But that cost you five Galleons."

"Exactly. Only five Galleons."

"Rich bastard." And then she mumbled, "Thank you."

Draco shot her a cocky grin. "What was that?"

She looked like she was about to roll her eyes and then stopped herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Draco said, smirking.

"But why do you care if I can defend myself?"

Why did he care? He put his hand on the back of his neck. "Well, I'm a prefect, and I'm sick of dealing with those guys in your year. I can't hex them, so I'll let you go ahead. Just don't do it where I can see you."

"I'll be happy to," Ginny said, a huge grin on her face.

* * *

When they finally reached Hogwarts, they ducked behind a tree. Draco took out his wand and undid all the spells he had done earlier on her appearance. Even though they had arrived back earlier than most students, they decided to be safe and enter the castle from different entrances so no one would see them together. Before they went in separate directions, Ginny spoke up.

"I have to say, I'll miss the dark hair. It was nice not being a Weasley for a day. Not that I don't love my family but...you know."

He snorted. "Well, I have to say, I think I prefer you like this."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Really?"

"As much as I hate to say it, red hair suits you." They stood in silence for a moment. All Draco could hear was the wind as it rustled through the branches hanging above them.

"So, uh, I guess this is where we part ways," Ginny said, tucking hair behind her ear. "Thanks for taking me. And the wand. It was, well, surprisingly kind of you."

Draco was quiet and watched as she walked away. He couldn't help but notice she looked rather nice. She had changed earlier from the baggy sweater to a green sundress, which swirled around her legs. He hadn't really noticed it before, but it contrasted nicely with her vibrant hair She turned back, breaking him out of his haze.

"Draco?" It felt so weird to hear his first name in her voice. It sounded sweet and uncertain.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not scared of you."

He hated the way his cheeks warmed when she said it. He stood there for another moment as she walked further and further away. It left a hollowness in his heart that he didn't quite understand.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: In Which Draco Is Not So Kind

Dedicated to Thatcraycraygirl, aristotlethesecond, hatebelow, ManonVarendaz, and LivingwithMuggles for reviewing! It made me so happy! I just had to write the next chapter right away! :)

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, Draco did his best to avoid Ginny Weasley. One day, she passed him in the hall and gave him a nod. After he nodded back, he quickly started walking in the opposite direction. With a start, he realized his cheeks were warm and his hands were starting to sweat. Maybe the Weasley girl wasn't afraid of him. But he was starting to be afraid of her.

The few times he did see her in those two weeks, he could see that she was changing. Her curly red hair was no longer pulled into ponytails, and she walked with a newfound confidence. All this because of a wand. And it was because of this wand that he had to talk to her again.

"Ms. Weasley, I need to have a word with you." He had just pulled her aside as he saw her walking down the hallway.

"Ms. Weasley? What are you, my professor?" she asked, her voice teasing.

"I'm uh, I'm speaking as your prefect."

She sighed. "Is this about having to keep an eye on me because you think I'm defenseless? Because that really isn't the case anymore, thanks to you."

"Exactly. Some of the students have been complaining about your hex?"

"My hex?" she asked, her voice sweet and dripping with innocence. "A person can't own a hex."

"You know what I'm talking about. The Bat-Bogey Hex. Some people have been complaining about you using it."

"Oh. Well, I only do it to people who attack me." He raised his eyebrow. She bit her lip and added, "And people who have attacked me. In the past."

He sighed. "Ginny, that's everyone."

"You told me to do it!"

"What I told you was to be discreet." He paused. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Um, nothing. You just started calling me Ginny again."

He flushed. "Yes, well...Anyway, I don't blame you for getting revenge. In fact, I think you're finally starting to exhibit Slytherin behavior. But please, don't overdo it."

"Okay, Sir Prefect Draco." She smiled. "I feel like I haven't seen you around as much. Are you okay?"

He turned away from her warm, brown eyes. "Why do you care?"

"Well, uh." She tucked hair behind her ear. "You've been really nice to me. Ever since that day where I kind of took all my anger out on you. It was starting to feel like we were…"

"Like we were what?"

"Friends."

"Friends? We can't be friends. You're a Weasley. I'm a Malfoy." His voice sounded hollow, even to himself. It was the same mantra he'd been repeating in his head all week.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "So?"

He was quiet. He didn't know how to answer.

She turned away from him. "Fine. I guess I'll see you later. Malfoy."

Draco watched her disappear into the swarm of students walking up and down the halls. What had she expected? Maybe he had been nice to her, for a little while. Because of his prefect duties. But that didn't mean they were friends. Nothing had changed between them, not really. So why did his heart feel so unbearably heavy?

...

"Draco, not that I mind, but why have you been giving me so much attention lately?" Pansy asked, pulling away from a kiss. They were pressed against each other, leaning against the cold wall of a broom closet.

"No reason," Draco said, tilting his head back towards her lips. But she turned away.

"C'mon, Draco. It has to be something. You even held my hand yesterday."

"I just...I just realized that we never really gave it a fair shot." He was hoping that if he kept trying with Pansy, eventually she would start making his cheeks feel warm and his hands sweat. This thing with the Weasley girl had to be some kind of fluke. "Maybe...maybe you should be my girlfriend."

"Not a chance." She softly pushed him away.

"W-what?"

The smile on her face was sad somehow. "It's true that lately you've been giving me more attention than usual. In a superficial sense. But your mind is always somewhere else when we're together."

"But Pansy…"

"Figure it out. And then maybe you can ask me again. And maybe I'll say yes."

"I have nothing to figure-"

"Until then, I don't mind doing this. Whatever this is."

She gripped the fabric of his shirt again, pulling him in close again. Her lips met his, but now it felt wrong. Familiar, but cold and distorted. But he didn't pull away. Because what could possibly feel so wrong? She was his friend. She was pretty. And she was from a good family.

Draco was starting to worry that maybe the problem wasn't with her. Maybe it was with himself.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the late update! This one required looked through the fifth book, so I was kind of lazy about it. I tried to make up for it with a longish chapter. Well, long for me. XD

Chapter 8: In Which Draco Is Hurt

Dedicated to enchantedstarlight, aristotlethesecond, and hatebelow for reviewing! I'm glad you guys like it so far :)

* * *

"Shouldn't you be getting dressed or something?" Pansy asked, giggling. She was on top of him on the common room couch. Everyone else was gone, probably trying to get good seats for the first Quidditch game of the season.

He smirked. "This helps calms my nerves." He lifted his head up to kiss her again, but suddenly she turned towards the left and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here, Weasley?"

He lifted his head up so he could see what she was looking at. Ginny was standing by the entrance, wide-eyed. Draco hated the pang he felt when he saw her, red hair in soft curls and wearing the same dress she had worn that night they went to Hogsmeade.

"Dra-Malfoy, I need to talk to you."

"Why would _you_ need to talk to _him_?" Pansy asked, sneering.

"I'll see you at the match, Pansy," he said, gently pushing her off. She huffed and then left, stomping her heels slightly as she walked. He would have to deal with her later.

He focused his gaze on Ginny. "What do you want, Weasley?"

"The badges. Are you the cause of them?"

"What badges?"

She held out a crown-shaped badge. On it was engraved the words "Weasley is Our King". "Every other Slytherin is wearing these."

Draco swallowed. He had forgotten all about "Weasley Is Our King". Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy had planned the whole thing in the beginning of year when they had seen Ron Weasley practice for the first time. He had helped compose lyrics and design the badges, but he had done all that before he had even started talking to Ginny. Crabbe and Goyle must have distributed them without talking to him about it. Or maybe they had. Draco hadn't been paying much attention to things lately. His mind kept wandering to that night Ginny told him that he didn't scare her. And the night he told her they couldn't be friends.

"Earth to Malfoy. Were these your idea? What are they for?"

"Um, we came up with it in the beginning of the year. Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and I. They're not for you, though. They're for your brother."

"Please don't let them do this. Ron is so nervous. And..." She bit her lip, her eyes pleading. For the first time, he notice there were flecks of gold and amber sparkling in the brown.

In the beginning of the year, Draco had never thought about how "Weasley Is Our King" would affect her. Even if he had thought about it, he wouldn't have cared. So why did he now? It didn't matter. Even if it made things even worse for her with the other Slytherins, she had a wand to defend herself now. He sucked in a breath and then looked away.

"I can't do anything about it. The match is in fifteen minutes."

"But you're Draco Malfoy. They'll listen to you."

Why was she still acting like they were friends? Like it was okay to ask him for favors? He had been planning this since the beginning of the year. He wasn't going to stop this for her. And even if he did, what would Pansy say? What would the other Slytherins say? They would think he had gone soft.

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

She narrowed his eyes at him. "I thought you were better than this."

"Not at first. Maybe you were right back then When you blamed me for the bullying and the chamber and everything else bad in your life."

"Maybe I was." She reached into a pocket of the robes she wore over her dress and threw her wand at him. It rolled on the ground next to him. "Here you go. I don't want it anymore."

"What would I do with a second wand? Don't be stubborn. You need a wand."

"Not a wand you bought for me."

Draco was about to retort when he noticed the way her eyes shimmered before she turned around. He swallowed. Was she actually going to cry? Why did he feel a lump in his throat?

"Don't-"

But she ran out of the common room, leaving him there alone.

* * *

There was no way around it. Guilt is what distracted Draco as he searched around the field. Guilt is what stopped him from singing "Weasley Is Our King" with all the other Slytherins. And guilt is why Potter got the Snitch before Draco even noticed him chasing it.

But the guilt was swallowed up by anger. Anger at Potter. At Ginny. At himself. It's what made the ugly words come out as he caught up with the Gryffindor team after all the players had landed.

"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" he said to Potter. "I've never seen a worse Keeper...but then he was _born in a bin_...Did you like my lyrics, Potter?"

But Potter just ignored him. So Draco kept going. He needed a fight, and he needed it now.

"We wanted to write another couple of verses! But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly- we wanted to sing about his mother see-"

"Talk about sour grapes," the Captain said. Draco couldn't remember her name. Angela? But he didn't care. He spoke up again.

"-we couldn't fit in useless loser either-for this father, you know-"

The Weasley twins stiffened. One of them was in the middle of shaking Potter's hand in congratulations. The other one turned around, and Draco realized Ginny was behind him. She must have come to congratulate her brothers.

Maybe everyone else was right. Maybe she was a pathetic excuse for a Slytherin. How dare she congratulate the enemy?

"Leave it," Ginny said. "He's not worth it."

Angela (?) nodded. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little-"

"-but you like the Weasleys, don't you Potter?" he said, sneering. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay."

Potter grabbed hold of a Weasley twin, but it wasn't the Weasley twin who punched him. It was Ginny.

In one blaze of glinting red and orange hair, she smacked her small fist into his face. He reeled back, and when he looked back again, she was glaring at him. But it wasn't with the same ferocity as the first time they spoke. Because this time, she also looked hurt.

Potter and the rest of the Gryffindor team gaped at her. Some of the members of the Slytherin team moved towards her, but he held his hand out. "Forget it."

He turned around and left, walking as fast as he could, wishing his eye would stop stinging and his hands would stop shaking.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry about the late update. I have classes during the week now, so that's made me a little lazy with my other projects. I will keep updating though! I've really enjoyed writing this so far.

Chapter 9: In Which Draco Has an Epiphany

Dedicated to Thatcraycraygurl, LivingWithMuggles, Katereena, metamorphosisxx, and marinka for reviewing! Thanks for keeping me motivated and inspired :)

* * *

The next morning, Draco sat at the Slytherin table with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. He stared at his plate, using his fork to shift his eggs from one side of the plate to the other. It was a quiet day at their table; everyone was still bitter about the loss.

"Can you believe she's sitting over there?" Pansy asked, taking a sip from a goblet.

"Who?" Crabbe asked.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Ginny Weasley. She's at the Gryffindor table."

Draco looked up from his food and scanned the Gryffindor table. There she was. Ginny Weasley sitting in the midst of her fellow Weasleys, Potter, and the Mudblood. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the way Potter was leaning in to whisper something into her ear.

"Why are you stabbing your eggs like that?" Goyle asked.

Draco set his fork down. "No reason. Anyway, maybe she's finally where she belongs."

Pansy nodded. "No one's very happy with her though. Especially because of punching you in the face. She'll get what's coming to her."

Crabbe and Goyle snickered as Draco looked around. Pansy was right. Quite a few Slytherins were glaring in Ginny's direction.

"I didn't see her in the common room last night," Draco said. He had been waiting for her last night on the couch to yell at her. Or apologize. He wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah, I talked to a girl in her year, and she didn't sleep in her bed last night." There was a crunch as Pansy took a bite of her toast. "Probably smart of her actually."

"At least she has her brothers to defend herself now," Draco said bitterly.

He tried to ignore that nagging part of himself that was worried she had no wand by looking back down at his plate and continuing to play with his scrambled eggs.

* * *

That night Draco sat hunched at a library table, scribbling down his Potions essay. He had a headache, and it was only getting worse due to the sound of Ginny and Potter giggling at a table a few feet away. It made him sick, the way Potter was looking at her. Like he was good enough for her.

He stopped his quill mid-sentence. She was just a Weasley. Even Potter was better than her. Why had that thought even crossed his mind?

But he knew why. As he looked over at her, he knew exactly why. He cared about her, something he had been trying to deny for a while now.

How dare Potter and her brothers pretend they cared about her? He had been the one to watch over her, take her to Hogsmeade, and buy her a wand. They hadn't given her a second thought before she had punched him. Stupid Gryffindors, pretending they were all high and mighty.

But Draco swallowed as he realized that maybe he was no better than them. He had gotten to know her, and he had still ignored her and made fun of her after. All because he couldn't handle the thought of being friends with a Weasley. But she wasn't like the rest of them. She was special.

Draco set his quill down and stood up before walking over to where she was. When he reached the table, he couldn't help but look at the ground. "Can I talk to you?"

"Why would she talk to you, Malfoy?" Potter spit out.

Draco glared at him. "Shut it, Potter. I didn't ask you."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," she mumbled.

He looked up. She was biting her lip. "C'mon, please. It's important."

She sighed but nodded. Potter opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "It's okay, Harry. It'll only take a second."

His stomach turned when he heard her use Potter's first name, but he was relieved that she agreed to talk to him. She stood up, and he led her to an empty spot behind some bookshelves. His hands felt clammy, and he wanted nothing more than to run away. Instead, he just looked at her, unable to speak.

She crossed her arms. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

He winced. He opened his mouth, but instead of an apology, which was what he meant to say, he asked, "Why did you punch me?"

Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Why did you insult my family?"

"It's not like you don't insult mine." Why couldn't he make himself shut up? He had asked her to talk to apologize. What was wrong with him?

"They're Death Eaters! Your father put the diary in my cauldron, for Merlin's-"

"I'm sorry, Ginny."

"W-what?"

He swallowed. "I'm sorry for what happened at the game. You were right to punch me. And I'm sorry I said we weren't friends. Because we are. Or at least, I want to be. That's why I wanted to talk to you."

She looked to the side. "How do I know you're serious? That this isn't some scheme to get back at me?"

"Have you ever heard me apologize before?"

She let out a started giggle. He couldn't help but smile when she did. She looked back up at him with her warm, brown eyes. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay, we can be friends."

"That was easier than I thought it would be."

"Well, uh, to be honest, I've felt a little guilty about punching you." He raised his eyebrow at her, and she quickly added, "Not that you didn't deserve it. But if we hadn't fought right beforehand, I probably wouldn't have gotten so upset. Even if you really hadn't wanted to be friends, you were a lot nicer to me than you had to be. And I sort of figured you liked me. As a- well, as a friend I mean. That you were just too stubborn to admit it."

He liked the way her cheeks turned pink under the light freckles on her face. He had missed it.

"So can I give you this wand back?" He pulled it out of a pocket in his robes, where he had been keeping it since she had given it to him. She smiled and nodded, taking it. Their fingers touched slightly, and she quickly pulled away.

"I better get back to Harry."

"Why are you talking to him anyway?"

"My brothers, Hermione, and Harry were worried that the other Slytherins would try to hurt me. And they felt bad about ignoring me after I punched you. They decided to take turns looking after me. Can you believe that? Anyway, I'll see you later..." Ginny paused and smiled. "Draco." She turned to leave.

"Do you...Do you like him?" he called after her.

"Like Harry?" She turned back and asked, teasingly, "Why, are you jealous?"

He felt his cheeks warm as she walked away.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I was so bad with updating this week. I'm so sorry, guys! The next one will be up sooner. Enjoy :)

Chapter 10: In Which Draco Is a Pervert

Dedicated to my lovely reviewers Vipera411, Thatcraycraygurl, hate below, Abatemarca, , and Katereena! Your reviews kept me going through my battle with writer's block!

* * *

Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle sat underneath a tree right outside the castle. They had decided to do homework outside, wanting to enjoy one of the last few warm days of the year. Occasionally one of them would look up from his or her work to sneer at some first year Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs, causing them to scuttle away.

As Draco was finishing up his essay for Transfiguration, he saw a glimmer of red out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see Ginny walking with Potter, Granger, and Ron Weasley. She turned to smile at him and gave a little wave. Dumbfounded, he waved back. Her brother glared at her and said something, which caused her to smack him on the shoulder. Draco couldn't help but let out a snort.

Pansy looked up from her work and narrowed her eyes when she saw Ginny. "That girl. Walking around like she owns the place. She's becoming more and more Gryffindor by the day."

Draco shrugged, looking back down at her work. "She's not so bad."

Crabbe looked at him incredulously. "She punched you."

"Yeah, well. I'm over it."

Pansy's eyes scanned his face, and he tried not to let any emotion show. But Pansy wasn't the type to let things go. "Draco Malfoy, do you fancy her?"

"F-fancy her? Just because we're not enemies doesn't mean I fancy her."

Pansy didn't look so convinced. She took her hand off the grass and put it on Draco's thigh. "Are you sure? I still haven't forgotten about that time in the Great Hall."

"Stop bringing that up." He shifted and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "And of course, I'm sure."

"Weasley and Malfoy sitting in a tree, K-..." Crabbe trailed off when he saw the murderous look on Draco's face.

* * *

Draco shifted in his bed, unable to sleep. He couldn't tell what was worse, Crabbe's snoring or his own restless thoughts surrounding his father's most recent letter. The letter had said that things were changing, to be ready for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's call at any time in the next two years.

"Pssst, Draco." There was a rustle in the curtains surrounding his bed. His bed creaked, like someone was getting on it.

He sat up quickly and looked around. "Who goes there? Pansy?"

There was a snort and then a whisper. "'Who goes there?' Princely as ever, I see." Ginny Weasley materialized in front of him and in her hands was a cloak. How the bloody hell had a Weasley gotten her hands on an Invisibility Cloak? She sat on the edge of his bed with a teasing grin. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no Parkinson. And do I even want to know why she was your first guess?"

He groaned."Ginny. What are you doing here?"

She beamed at him and scooted onto the bed so she was now across from him, right in front of his feet. "I was bored. And we haven't really talked since we made up."

"So you choose now? And to be fair, you're always busy with Potter or one of your brothers."

She raised her eyebrow. "And you're always with Crabbe, Goyle, or your girlfriend."

"She is not my-"

"Whatever. Anyway, point is, I don't want to embarrass you when you're with your friends. So I thought, well, maybe now would be a good time." She grinned sheepishly.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you thought now would be a good time. When I'm trying to sleep. Why should I expect any more from you?"

"Hey, to be fair, you were totally not even close to asleep when I came-"

"Draco, is there someone...in there with you?" Crabbe's voice sleepily called out from the bed next to him.

Ginny's eyes widened in panic. She opened her mouth, but Draco quickly scooted forward and put his hand over her lips. She had absolutely no self control. Typical Weasley. "Uh, no, Crabbe. You must have been dreaming. Go back to sleep."

"Okay. And Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Pansy I say hi."

"I told you, there's no one in here with me."

"Sure, sure."

Draco and Ginny sat absolutely still until they heard Crabbe's breathing slow down into steady, even breaths. When Draco relaxed, he looked down to see that his hand was still on Ginny's lips, and that he had sort of pulled her in between his sprawled out legs in panic. One of his arms was tight around her waist. He put the hand that was over her mouth down and couldn't help but grin when he saw the blush on her face. It was time to get revenge for when she had asked him if he was jealous of Potter.

"Enjoying your new seat?" he whispered into her ear. He took out his wand and mumbled a silencing charm, something he should have thought of earlier.

She glared and tried to worm her way out of his grip. "You're vulgar."

"You're blushing."

"You're a pervert."

"You're the one who snuck into my bed in the middle of the night."

"To ask you if you wanted to go flying."

He looked at her, dumfounded. His arm slid off her waist, and she quickly scooted away. "Wait, what?"

"You've helped me with so much. It's time for me to repay you."

"How could you possibly help me?"

"I'm good. With a broom, that is. I tried to compensate for the lack of wand my first few years here by practicing flying."

"But you're not even on the Quidditch team."

"Like I would even get a fair tryout. Anyway, I can teach you what I know. And next time, Slytherin will have the victory."

He tried not to feel offended. "Why would I need lessons from you? I'm already a good flyer. I have the second best broom on the market."

"You're decent. But brooms aren't everything. And you'll have to make up for Harry's better broom with skill. Lots of skill. Because Harry is basically the Quidditch prodigy around here."

"Why do you even want to help me beat Potter? Don't you love him or something?"

She sighed. "I guess I'll never live down my first year crush on him with you, will I?"

He smirked. "Or the singing love letter you sent him."

"Shut up. Can't we just pretend that never happened?" She pulled on the ends of her hair.

He laughed and, for a moment, they just looked at each other. Her hair was a mess, red strands glinting in disarray. One of the sleeves of her oversized shirt had fallen down her shoulder. A little bit of cleavage peeked out from the top of the low neckline. He turned away. "Anyway, I'm not in the mood to fly now. I'm tired."

"Oh, okay." She looked to the side like she was disappointed. "I guess I'll leave then."

As she was about to get up, he pulled on her arm. "Wait. Stay for a bit." She widened her eyes, and he quickly added, "May as well, since you went through all the trouble of coming here."

"What would I even do here?" He opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "And don't say anything perverted."

He grinned. "Fine. Anyway, we could just, like, talk. I guess."

She paused and then shot him a soft smile. "Okay." She put her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "Tell me about your deep, inner feelings for Parkinson."

He groaned, and she giggled. This was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update! I had a paper due and had a little bit of writer's block and a bad case of procrastination. A special thanks to Thatcraycraygurl for reviewing yesterday and for baking me a virtual cake with Draco and Ginny on top! Since I can't respond to her on the site, I'd like to say that my favorite house is Ravenclaw too! It's the result I got on Pottermore. I'm going to the Harry Potter park this summer and hope to get lots of merchandise. Slytherin is my favorite House to write about though. For the most part, Slytherins are presented as such bad guys in the books, and it's really interesting and fun to redeem them. Anyway, enough with my rambling! Onto Chapter 11!

* * *

Chapter 11: In Which Draco Can't Sleep

_Dedicated to Homerunhitter, Thatcraycraygurl, Lissi45849, and Katereena for motivating me with their reviews!_

* * *

"Deep inner feelings for Parkinson?" Draco almost gagged at the words. "Why don't we talk about your deep inner feelings for Potter?"

Ginny hugged her knees closer and sighed. "Can't you at least tease me about someone more interesting?"

Draco raised his eyebrow. "What? The Boy-Who-Lived isn't interesting enough for you?"

She shrugged and looked down at her toes as they curled onto his sheets. "He's alright. Humble, selfless, brave, and certainly not bad in the looks department." She grinned as she looked up to see a disgusted look on his face. "All the things I thought I wanted in my first year. But..."

"But what?"

"Now you have to understand, Malfoy-"

"Draco."

She smiled and tucked strands of coppery hair behind her ear. "Right. Draco. Anyway, I love my brother and Harry and Hermione. But sometimes...well, sometimes, they're just so boring_._"

Draco snorted. "Please, do go on."

"Well, they're so stuck in their own little world that they don't question anything around them. Hermione lives by her books. Ron lives in unquestioning accordance with my family's views. And Harry's life revolves around his destiny or whatever. I don't blame them, they're heroes in their own rights. But it's like...they don't put thought or time into fun. Or anything not related to Harry. Or whether..." She bit her lip and looked at him. "Or whether they're more wrong about someone than they ever thought they could be."

He studied her, this girl with the long Weasley hair and eyes that glimmered with pain when she was hurt and danced with light when she was happy. But now they weren't doing either of those things. Now her hazelnut eyes blazed at him with something he couldn't quite understand. Something he wasn't quite sure he wanted to understand.

He sucked in a breath and cracked a smile. "So you're saying they don't know how to have fun? Do you even know how to have fun?"

"Pervert," she mumbled under her breath and looked away.

He felt his cheeks heat up. "I didn't mean it like that."

She grinned and looked back up at him. "I know, I just like teasing. Speaking of which, I told you what I think about Harry. Now tell me about Parkinson."

"I wish you wouldn't call him 'Harry'. You're a Slytherin, for Merlin's sake. Call him Potter. Or The-Boy-Who-Won't-Stay-Out-of-Anyone's-Business."

Ginny wrinkled her nose and laughed. Draco counted the splash of freckles on her nose. Nine. "Draco, you're avoiding my question."

"Why do you care so much anyway? It feels like every question I get from you is about Parkinson."

She looked down as she talked. "Well, uh, I don't know. I've, rather unfortunately, seen you guys snog a lot. And I've never had that type of relationship. Or any type of relationship, for that matter. I can't help but be curious. Besides, it's not like I can talk to anyone else about this. The Slytherins all hate me again since the Quidditch game." She smirked at him. "You know, since I punched their Slytherin Prince in the face."

He snorted, but she looked at him expectantly. He sighed. What was it about her that made him so...soft? "Okay, okay. Well, to be honest, I don't really know how I feel about Parkinson. She's cute, and I like kissing her. Sometimes I even like talking to her-" She rolled her eyes. "But we're not official. We're just having fun."

"Would you? Become official with her, I mean."

He shrugged. "I asked her. And she refused me. She said there were things I need to figure out."

Her eyes widened. She bit her lip and curled one of her hands around his sheets. "I didn't know about that. That you asked her. I never thought I'd see the day when she'd reject you."

He sneered and crossed his legs, sitting up a little straighter. "She didn't...reject me. She just put it off since I seemed distracted."

"Distracted by what? When did it happen, anyway?"

"I don't remember, exactly. It was sometime when we were fighting, I think." Her face brightened, like his words had made her realize something. He stared at her, annoyed. "Why are you giving me such a dopey smile?"

She shook her head, but her smile didn't leave her face. "Nothing. Just thought of something. Anyway, maybe you just asked her in the wrong way. Maybe you should practice."

"Practice on what?"

"On me, silly."

"On you?" His eyebrows raised up.

She grinned and scooted up to him, crossing her legs so their knees were almost touching. He could feel the warmth radiating from her, and he felt his cheeks turn red. Why did she always make him feel like this? Maybe her constant blushing was contagious. But that didn't explain the fluttering in his stomach or the heaviness of his heart as it bounced against his chest.

He looked down at the small space between them. "This is stupid."

"No, it's not." He raised an eyebrow. She stuck out her tongue at him. "Okay, fine, it's a little stupid. But I'm tired, and sometimes doing something a little stupid can give you a little perspective."

"Do you really think so?"

She nodded. "I mean, it was a little to stupid of me to yell at the Slytherin prefect after he chased some bullies away. But look where we are now." He smirked, and she smiled back at him. "So how did you ask her anyway?"

"We were snogging, and then I said that maybe she could be my girlfriend." She gaped at him, and he sighed. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well, it's no wonder she said no. You didn't even really ask."

"Well, how do you think I should ask, oh wise one?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ginny smiled and grabbed both of his hands, staring down at them. She interlaced her fingers with his, and he was too shocked to pull away. He felt his throat tighten as she looked back up at him. "I really like you. In fact, there are even moments where I think I love you. Is there any chance that we could be more than this? Any chance that we could be together, as boyfriend and girlfriend?"

His jaw dropped, his hands feeling clammy and the fluttering in his stomach grew stronger. "W-what?"

Ginny grinned at his shocked expression. "That's how you do it. That's how you should ask Pansy." She looked back down at their joined hands. "But only if you're sure."

"O-oh. Right, Pansy." He pulled his hands back down and turned his neck to look at the pillow. "I'm tired."

She nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She yawned and was about to get out of bed before he pulled on her arm.

"Why don't you stay here?" he said before he could stop himself. "Might as well. You seem tired too. And someone could hear you come out, even if they wouldn't be able to see you. Um...I mean P-Pansy could find out if like, Crabbe heard someone sneaking out of my bed." They looked at each other, his hand around her arm. Strands of her hair tickled his fingers. Her eyes studied his face, and he couldn't help but look away. "I mean, you can sleep facing the other way so things won't be weird."

He expected to hear her say no, regretting what he said even before he had stopped rambling excuses for asking. But to his surprise, she just nodded.

* * *

Later that night, Ginny lay curled up, her legs to the right of Draco's stomach. He turned the other way, sleepy but unable to get comfortable.

"Draco, get your feet out of my face!"

Draco groaned and cracked his eyes open. He sighed. "What the hell. I was almost asleep."

"Well, I haven't been able to since you keep accidentally kicking me!"

Too sleepy to argue, he sat up up grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up, ignoring her protests. He let go when they were both laying down on the same side, her hair in his nose, the smell of coconut vanilla shampoo filling his nose. "Just stop whining, for Merlin's sake. Let me sleep," he murmured sleepily into her collarbone.

She shivered and huffed. "Fine. Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

An hour later, Draco still couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl in front of him, and when he tried, all he could think about what his father's letter. What if he was a coward? As much as he sneered at Harry for being stupid and risking his life, Draco wasn't sure there was anything or anyone he would risk his own life for. And that might be exactly what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would ask of him.

"Ginny?"

She mumbled incoherently as a response.

"Do you think I'm a coward?" he asked. For some reason, it's always easier to ask the hard things when it's dark and one is tired.

Ginny turned to him, her eyelids drooping slightly and the corner of her mouth gleaming with a spot of drool. She yawned. Very attractive. He couldn't believe she had given him butterflies earlier. But then she smiled and put a hand to his cheek. "I don't think a coward would be going against his family just to be friends with someone like me."He swallowed, resting his head on hers. She put her arms around him. "I really do think you're brave. Just in a different way than, uh, The-Boy-Who-Won't-Stay-Out-Of-Anyone's-Business."

He was too tired to laugh. "Thank you," he whispered. He felt her nod, and soon, Draco was fast asleep, feeling peaceful in her warmth.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Sorry this update has been so late! Not to mention, on the short side. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next. I have the future of this fanfiction in mind, but sometimes transition chapters are the hardest. Anyway, I'm going to try and get down to business on this fanfiction and writing in general. Feel free to review and yell at me if I don't update at least once in a three day period. Hehe. Anyway, I just made a Tumblr! You can find the link on my profile. There's not much on it now, but feel free to ask for DracoxGinny or Disney drabbles on there. Or just say hi! All of you have helped motivate me and made writing this fanfiction a truly rewarding experience :)

Chapter 12: In Which Draco Comes to a Realization

_Dedicated to Katereena, Lissi45829, saroura92, Kaehari, and Thatcraycraygirl for reviewing! Love all of you!_

* * *

"Pssst. Draco."

Draco woke up to Ginny looking up at him with wide-eyes. He blinked slowly as he remembered the conversation of the night before. How embarrassing. He inwardly cursed the sleepy Draco of last night for letting himself confide in a Weasley.

"Morning," he mumbled.

She smiled brightly at him, but there was a pink tint to his cheeks and her eyes were shifting. "Morning. Anyway, I wasn't going to wake you up, but my class is in 15 minutes, and I'm kind of stuck."

Stuck? He looked down to see his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and one of his legs over hers. She giggled as he yelped and and quickly scooted away.

"Sorry about that."

"D-don't worry about it. You were asleep. Anyway, I'll see you later."

And with that, Ginny put on the cloak resting on the end of his bed and disappeared. The only signs of her presence were the shifting of the curtains draped around his bed and the sound of her footsteps as she left. Draco stayed in his bed for a few moments, trying to process the fact that he had spent the night with Ginny Weasley.

But then he realized he had about ten minutes until class, so he stumbled out of bed, got dressed, and ran to Transfiguration. Well, he didn't run. Malfoys don't run. He walked briskly, with complete composure.

"Why are you so sweaty?"

"Shut it," Draco said, glowering at Crabbe as he sat down.

For the next week, the only time Draco spoke to Ginny was in the dead at night. He never saw her during the day, except from afar. But at night, she would appear from thin air, sit at the foot of his bed, and they would talk. About classes. About people that annoyed them. And about each other's families.

"You know, there was a time in second year when I really tried to embrace being a Slytherin. I turned my nose up at Gryffindors, I went to every Quidditch game to cheer for Slytherin, and I even wore all green and silver," Ginny said one night.

Draco snorted. "That's kind of cute."

"Cute?"

"Um, cute as in, uh, funny."

Ginny wore a sly smile on her face. "I see. Well, anyway, that year I went home for Christmas with a collection of Slytherin scarves, sweaters, and other green and silver clothes I had either gotten from the Lost and Found or had Luna transfigure for me, since my wand was no use. Anyway, every time my mom did my laundry, more and more of clothes came out pink. She would always act like she didn't know what I was talking about when I asked her about." Ginny giggled. "I was so mad back then. Now, it's just kind of funny to think how offensive those colors were to her."

Draco laughed and then smirked at her. "The most offensive thing about that story is that she dyed your clothes pink of all colors. That must have gone together really well with that Weasley hair of yours."

"Are you saying you don't think I could pull off pink?"

He smiled wickedly at her pout. "I'm saying you would look atrocious in pink."

She threw a pillow at him. "One day, Draco, I'll prove you wrong."

"I'd like to see you try," Draco said, smiling gently at the blush on her face.

On some nights, Ginny would sleep over. Other times she would turn red and refuse to, no matter how late it was. After a few weeks of this, Draco started noticing that Ginny was avoiding him during the day. This seemed strange to him, considering how close they had gotten. And Draco had never really been that close to anyone.

"How come you dart the other way whenever you see me in the hallway?" Draco asked her one night as they were about to fall asleep.

"What are you talking about?"

He turned towards her and narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. I never see you around anymore. And when I do, it's with that blasted Potter."

"Oh. That. Well, I just figured you wouldn't want to talk to me in public. That's kind of why you stopped being friends with me before, right? And I get it. We come from two opposing families, and you have to uphold your image with your friends."

He gaped. "Bloody hell. Are you the same girl that practically guilt-tripped me into taking her to Hogsme-"

"I did not guilt-trip you!"

He ignored her interruption. "When did you get so understanding?"

"Since I started trying to see things from your point-of-view."

They lay there in silence as Draco thought about what she said. His point-of-view? Had he ever really tried to see things from her point-of-view? He was one of her only friends, and come to think of it, he probably wouldn't have acknowledged her much in public even if she had tried to talk to him. Not with Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle around. His heart sunk as he realized that Ginny was the closest thing he had to a real friend, and even that only was true at night.


End file.
